Tie for concrete forms



United States Patent was TIE FOR CONCRETE FORMS Harry J. Krueper, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 8, 1953, Serial No. 37 8,946

6 Claims. (Cl. 25-131) This invention relates to clamps or ties for holding concrete forms against spreading under the weight of the concrete.

More particularly the invention relates to improvements in concrete form clamps or ties of the type shown in the U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,365,563, issued December 19, 1944, to Harry I. Krueper. As shown in this patent, the tie comprises a tapered steel rod extended through opposed walls of a concrete form and fastened thereto to hold the walls against spreading under the weight of the concrete. The rod is fastened at its ends by means of nuts which bear against the outer sides of the form walls. The taper of the rod facilitates removal thereof in stripping the forms.

,It is an object of the present invention to provide a form tie such as described which may be installed and removed with greater ease and in less time than ties heretofore available.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tie such as described which eliminates the use of screw threads and a nut as heretofore employed on the tapered end of the rod.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel key plate fastening means for detachably securing one end of the rod to one of the walls of the form without the use of screw threads.

It is a further object hereof to provide a key plate fastening means having a formation making it possible quickly to fasten the rod in place and as quickly release the rod.

It-is another object to provide a tie such as described which is more reliable in operation and more effectively distributes the stresses applied thereto by reason of the aforesaid key plate fastening means.

It is an additional object to provide a tie such as described wherein the key plate is constructed and arranged so that in the event it becomes partly embedded in the wood of the form walls it may be readily released and moved to position for removal from the rod by a hammer blow.

Itis another object to provide an improved tie such as described which may be repeatedly used without likelihood of damage or distortion of the rod and fastening elements associated therewith.

It is a further object to provide a key plate fastener having each side of like formation whereby the plate maybe quickly installed on the rod with either side disposed to engage the outer side of the adjacent form wall.

It is an additional object to provide a form tie wherein the pressure or load on the key plate will be released upon striking one end of the plate, the plate then moving relative to the rod into a position whereby it may be readily removed for withdrawal of the rod.

This invention possesses many other advantages and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present Patented Jan. 22, 1957 2 specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through a concrete structure and the form therefor, showing in elevation a tie embodying the present invention as applied to walls of the form; i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, showing the key plate in elevation on one end of the tie rod;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through v the key plate as removed from the tie rod.

One embodiment of the present invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, generally comprises a tapered steel rod 1, a key plate 2 adapted tobe detachably mounted on one end portion of the rod and a nut 3 axially adjustable on the other end portion of the rod.

The rod is adapted to be applied to a concrete form, for example as shown 'in Fig. 1. This form comprises opposed walls 4 and 5 made up of the usual sheathing 6, studs 7 and wales 8. The concrete shown in the form is designated 9.

Holes 10 are provided through the sheathing 8 so that the rod 1 may be inserted to extend between the studs and wales with the end portions of the rods projecting beyond the wales.

The key plate 2 is constructed so that it may be readily locked on and removed from one end portion of the tie rod 1 in less time and with less manipulation and elfort than is possible where a nut or similar fastening is threaded on the rod. It is only necessary to form the rod with a simple reduced portion providing recesses and shoulders, to accommodate the quick locking and removal of the key plate. Thus, only one end portion of the rod 1 is formed with screwthreads 11 to provide for axial adjustment of the nut 3 as necessary to adapt the tie to forms of different thickness and to tighten the tie as desired.

As here shown, the key plate is rectangular and provided with a rod-receiving slot 12 extending longitudinally between the ends thereof. The length of the plate is such that it will span a pair of the wales 8 when mounted on the tie rod.

In order that the key plate 2 may be releasably locked on the rod 1, the plate 2 and the rod are provided with interengaging portions. Accordingly, the slot 12 is of the key-hole type, having at one end an enlarged somewhat circular portion 12a of greater width or diameter than that of the smaller end portion of the tie rod 1; also an elongated reduced portion 12b of less width than the diameter of the tie rod and extended from'the portion 12a to the other end of the slot.

The tie rod 1 at a point adjacent the smaller end thereof is reduced as at 1a to form on opposite sides of the rod a pair of notches or recesses 1b as well as inner and outer pairs of shoulders lcand 1d. The reduced portion 1a of the rod is adapted to slide into the reduced portion 12b of the slot 12 so as to dispose the shoulders 1d on the rod in overlying and locking contact with the outer surface of the plate.

It should be noted that the key plate 1 may be applied with either of its two flat faces opposed to the wales 8 on one of the form walls and that the space between the shoulders 10 and 1d is greater than the maximum thickness of the key plate Thus, the inner shoulders 10 do 3 not contact the inner face of the plate when the plate is moved into the final locking position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. However, the shoulders 1c of the innermost pair act as guides during the movement ofthe reducedportion Ia of the rod into the reduced portion 12b of the slot 12 as well as serve as stops to limit inward movement of'the plate axially of the rod. p

The key plate 2 is constructed and arranged tomake it possible to quickly release the pressure thereon and move the plate into position for a quick removal from the rod, as by striking-an end of the-plate with a hammer or similar tool. Accordingly, those portions of the opposite faces of the plate which are adapted to be engaged by the outer shoulders 1d on the rod 1, are relieved to provide inwardlyoifse-t surfaces 120 that taper or incline inwardly from the remainder of the opposite faces of the plate toward the larger end of the slot, being substantially equal in length to that of the reduced portion" 12b of the slot.

Openings 14 are provided in the key plate 2 whereby nails 15 may be employed for fastening the plate to the wales 8 of one wallof the form to prevent rotative movement of the plate. Likewise, the nut 3 is provided with o'peningslti whereby nails 17 may be driven therethrough torestrain rotation of thenut'.

In installing the tie with the nut 3 thereon, the rod 1 is inserted'th'rough the holes 10 in the sheathing until the smaller end projects beyond the adjacent wales. The key plate 2 is then applied by moving it with either face toward thewales on the adjacent wall of the form, to cause the smaller end of the rod to pass through the large portion 12:! of the slot 12'and to bring the reduced portion 12!) of the slot into registry with the reduced portion la of the rod; The'plate' is either released so that it'will drop atright angles to the rod or isrnoved by the operator in'this mannerto causeth'e reduced portion in of the rod to slide into the narrower portion 12b of the slot; The shoulders 1d on the rodwill then o'verlie the inclined surfaces 12c and lock the plate on therod with the inner face of the plate opposedto the adjacent'wales. Next, the plate is nailed to'the wales and the nut 3 is' then tightened-to clamp the plateag'ainst the wales, after which the'nut'is nailed to the wales, thereby completing installation of thetie;

When it is desiredto withdrawtlietierod 2 from the form, nails areremoved from the plateand the nut and the key plate 2' isstruck by a hammer or similar tool, or the end of the'plate'adjacent the larger portion" 12b of the slot 12, thereby driving the plate at rightangles to the rod and releasing the clamping pressure on the plate and rod,-it being unnecessary to loosen 'thenut 3. When the plate is moved in thism'a'nne'r-by the hammer blow, the inclined offset portionslz'c engaged with the shoulders 1d on the rod cause theplate to move axially outwardly onthe rod so thatthe inner face of the plate moves away from'the wales, thereby releasing the clamping pressure on the plate. A single hammer blow is all that is required to release theplate and move'i-tso that (bored 1 is or may be disposed'in the larger portion 12b of the slot whereby the plate may" be quickly removed from'the rod and the rod withdrawn from the form;

It should be noted that thekey plate 2" makes it possible to install and remove the tiejin' a'mucheasier and satisfactory manner than would be possible with the use of a nut similar to the nut 3. The fact that the key plate 3 is reversible is also time saving and advantageous. The tapered or inclined portions of the platewhich are engaged by the shoulders on' the tie rod assure that the plate may be quickly and easilyreleased and removed responsive to a hammer blow on one end" of 'the plate after removing the nails 15.

Iclaim:

1. A tie for preventingsprea ding of theopposed walls of a concrete form, comprising: a tie rod adapted to be passed through the form; a key plate for releasably securing one end portion of said rod to one of said walls; said plate having a slot; said slot having a portion of less width than the diameter of said rod and a wider portion greater than the diameter of the rod; said rod having a reduced portion of less width than the reduced portion of said slot and engageable therein; said reduced portion of said rod defining shoulders engageable with portions of one face of said plate which extend along opposite margins of said slot; said plate having plane surfaces on opposite sides thereof parallel with one another except for portions engageable by said shoulders; the portions of said one face engageable with said shoulders being inwardly offset from said plane surface on said one face of the plate and inclined from one end of the slot toward the other end of said slot; and means for securing said red to the other of said walls.

2. A tie for preventing spreading of the opposed walls of a concrete form, comprising: a tie rod adapted to be passed through the form; a key plate for releasably" securing one end portion of said rod to' one of said walls; said plate having a slot said slot and plane parallel faces between the slotand edges of the plate; said slot being greater width than the diameter of said one end portion of said rod; said slot having a portion of less width than the diameter of said rod; said rod having a reduced portion of less width than the reduced portion of said slot and engageable therein; sa-id reduced portion of said rod defining shoulders engageable with a face of said plate; opposite faces of said plate being inwardly offset along the sides of said slot and inclined inwardly from one end of said slot towards the other end of said slot whereby either face of the plate may be engaged with said shoulders; andv means on the other end portion of said rod engageable withthe other of said walls;

3. A' clamping plate for use with the tie rod of concrete form tie; said plate having a slot therein;- said plate having plane parallel faces between t-he slot and edges of the plate except portions which extend immediately along opposite edge of said slot; said slot having one end wider than the remainder thereof; said portions being. inwardly offset and inclined from one end toward the other end of theslot. L

4. A clamping plate for use with the tie rod of a concrete form tie; said plate having a 'slot therein and plane parallel faces between the slot andedges of the plate except portions which extend immediately along opposite edges of said slot; said slot having one end wider than the remainder thereofi the portions of opposite faces of the plate along opposite edges of the narrower part of the slot being offset inward-1y from the remainder of said opposite edges and inclined from one end toward the other end of the slot for interlocking engagement with said rod.

5. A clamping plate for use wit-h'the tierod of a concrete form tie; said plate having a slot therein and planewalls of a concrete form, a rod member, an elongated plate member engaging the rod member at one of said walls, and' rneans on the rod member engageable with the exterior of the'other' of said'wa-lls, said plate mem her having akeyhole slot and plane parallel face between the slot and the edges of the plate, said slot having a reduced portion of less width than the diameter of an end portion of the rod member and a wider portion greater thanthe diameter of said end of said rod 'mem her, a marginaledge of said slot-beinginwardly'ofiset from the plane face-ofsaid plate member at the reduced portion ofthe slot, the inwardly offset portion tapering inwardly from said reduced portion of said 'slot 'towards said wider portion, said rod having a reduced portion of less width than the reduced portion of said slot to provide -a shoulder on said rod in contact with the tapered marginal edge of said slot which is inwardly offset from the plane outer face of said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,293,391 Ewing Feb. 4, 1919 6 Kemper Feb. 5, 1935 Pilj July 4, 1939 Kenninger et a1. July -18, 1939 Hungerford Aug. 8, 1939 Kenninger July 17, 1941 Krueper Dec. 19, 1944 Sass Nov. 1, 1949 

